Improved carriage-spring



wf.` WHITNEY.`

y Carriage Spring.

Ptented Nom-3, 1868.v

N. Patina wauw. VME@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM It. WHITNEY, or MILTON, NHw'YoHII.

IMPROVED CARRIAGE-SPRING.

Specification forming part of'Letters Patent No. 83,810, dated November 3, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. WHITNEY, of Milton, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented la new and useful Improvement in Springs for Vehicles; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention consists in a novel application to vehicles of springs composed of straight steel rods, operating by torsion, whereby vehicles may have springs made for and durably applied to them at small cost, and by persons of less skill than those required to construct and apply springs ot' the kind cornmonly employed.

Figure l represents an inverted plan of the bottoni oia wagon-body, having springs constructed and applied according to my iinprovement. Fig. 2 represents an end view of the same; and Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a diii'erent manner of connecting the body to the springs.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A represents the bottom of a wagon-body or other vehicle, of the ordinary form and construction, except that it is provided with bars a a, secured transversely across its under side and near the extremities thereof, by means of bolts or otherwise. The bars a a terminate at their extremities in downwardly-curved arms, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

B B B B are rods constructed of tempered steel, and extending lengthwise of the body A, and supported in sockets b and bearings d. in the end and central cross-pieces of a frame, C. This frame C is an intermediate structure, arranged between the body and running-gear of the vehicle, and designed for the reception of and support of the rods B; but said rods may be arranged and supported in any suitable manner upon the runninggear without the use ot' the said frame. These rods B are each firmly secured at one end by means ot' a square tenon thereon fitting within a correspondingly-forined socket, b, in one or the other ofthe end cross-pieces j' ofthe frame C. The opposite endof each of the rods B is caused to pass through a bearing, d, in the opposite cross-pieeef of the frame C, and to terminate in a square tenon projecting beyond the outer side of the said cross-piece. A central cross-piece, j", of the frame C serves to support, by means oi' bearings d', the central portion of the rods, thereby preventing swagging of the same.

g g g g are laterally-extending arms, fitted upon the square tenons or" the projecting ends of the rods B. These arms g point in an upwardly and outwardly direction, and are connected at their outer extremities to the downwardly-curved extremities or arms c of the transverse bars t by means of connectinglinks e. By means of these links c the effects ofthe variation from a perpendicular line ot' the extremities ofthe arms g, caused by their travel through the arc of a circle in their upand-down motion, is counteracted.

The links e may be dispensed with by thc use of semi-elliptic springs instead ot the transverse bars a, as illustrated in Fig. 3; andthe principle may be further varied by the substitution of inverted C-springs foi-the semi-elliptic, both of which I consider equivalents ot' the mode first described.

The weight of the body A, together with that of its load, exerts a downward force against the outer ends otl the extended arms g, the forcing down ot` which acts upon the elastic rods B after the torsion principle, thc opposite ends of said rods being ilxedly secured, as previously described.

By the elasticity' of the rods the arms are caused to yield to the weight of the load; and by the strength of the rods the said arms are provided with a means of resistance against the said weight, thereby producing the same effect and establishing the same end as other vehicle-springs, in relieving the body of violent jolts caused by sudden concussions of the wheels against stones or uneven surfaces of the ground over which the vehicle is being moved.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the torsion-springs B and their attached arms g, arranged for operation in connection with the body and running-gear of a wagon or other vehicle, substantially as described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

WVM. F. WHITNEY. Vitnesses A. J. M. SMITH, JAooB ROWLEY. 

